


Butter

by queenribbon



Category: Final Fantasy XII
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-05
Updated: 2014-07-05
Packaged: 2018-02-07 13:07:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 289
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1900077
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/queenribbon/pseuds/queenribbon
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Basch and an old Landissi birthday tradition.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Butter

**Author's Note:**

  * For [capt_eli](https://archiveofourown.org/users/capt_eli/gifts).



"Happy birthday, Noah!"

  
It was six in the morning and little Basch had awoken with his father. He stood over his brother, grinning and holding a napkin. The glob of butter was a little too big and was accordingly in danger of sliding onto Noah's nightshirt. Noah swiped the napkin from his twin. "You got me."

  
But instead of wiping it away and discarding the napkin, Noah carefully took the too-large lump from his nose and in one sudden motion slapped it onto Basch's nose. Their father laughed.

  
"Happy birthday, Basch!"

* * *

 

It has been thirty years and Landis is long gone. Basch awakens with a stretch on the grasses of the Osmone plain, near Jahara. But why is he alone...?

  
He assumes the others have gone to the village in order to collect supplies. Sighing, he slings the only remaining pack over his shoulder. But there is a memory.

  
He digs through and manages to find a morsel of butter -- it's just enough. The glob is not too large this time. He swats it onto his nose. "Happy birthday, Noah."  
The sun is worming its way into the sky and beating upon Basch's back, though it is certainly not as hot here as it is in Dalmasca. The ferns rustle pleasantly.

  
Or at least, pleasantly until Basch feels something slam into his shoulder, taking him by surprise and knocking him down. It takes him a moment to process what exactly is happening -- Vaan and Penelo are trying to keep him on the ground, and Balthier has a stick of butter.  
The Archadian man smiles and scrapes off a hunk of butter with his fingernail while Basch lays in the grass, dumbfounded. Vaan and Penelo are laughing.

"Happy birthday, Basch."

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to dir_konig for inspiration with this fic!
> 
> Also, I'd like to explain why something as odd as butter -- I'm a fourth generation Norwegian immigrant, and it's a custom in my family! I've been told by my older family members that it's from Norway. And yes, the element of surprise is actually integral to the tradition. Wiping off the butter is a good luck charm, and you also get to make a wish!


End file.
